With Arguments Pro and Con, the Value of Physical Stores Remains up for Debate

Now that December is here, it’s time for the inevitable lists enumerating the best and worst of the past 365 days. This year, the list of lists could stretch on forever in the apparel retail space alone. Think bankruptcies, acquisitions and mergers.

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Along with them will be a slew of annual proclamations seeking to characterize the last 52 weeks. Again, the choices here are plentiful, too. So here’s a first: 2017 was the year of the identity crisis for physical stores.

Depending on which retail exec you talked to, brick-and-mortar stores were either the only way toward sales salvation or a damning albatross dragging apparel companies under.